22 Created To Become Like Christ

 

 

 

PURPOSE # 3

 

 

You Were Created To Become Like Christ

 

 

Let your roots grow down into Christ

and draw up nourishment from him.

See that you go on growing in the Lord,

and become strong and vigorous in the truth.

Colossians 2:7

 

 

22 Created to Become Like Christ

 

 

God knew what he was doing from the

very beginning. He decided from the outset

to shape the lives of those who love him

along the same lines as the life of his Son...

We see the original and intended shape

of our lives there in him.

Romans 8:29

 

We look at this Son and see God's original

purpose in everything created.

Colossians 1:15

 

You were created to become like Christ.

From the very beginning,

God's plan has been to make you like his Son, Jesus.

This is your destiny and the third purpose of your life.
Then God said,

'Let us make human beings

 in our image and likeness.'"

Genesis 1:26

 

In all of creation, only human beings, are made

"in God's image."

We don't know all this phrase covers,

but we do know some of the aspects it includes:

Like God, we are spiritual beings—

our spirits are immortal and will outlast our earthly bodies;

we are intellectual—we can think, reason, and solve problems;

like God, we are relational—we can give and receive real love;

and we have a moral consciousness—we can discern right from wrong,

which makes us accountable to God.

 

The Bible says that all people, not just believers,

possess part of the image of God;

that is why murder and abortion are wrong.

Genesis 6:9; Psalm 139:13-19;

James 3:9

But the image is incomplete

and has been damaged and distorted by sin.

So God sent Jesus on a mission to restore

the full image that we have lost.

 

The Bible says Jesus is

"the exact likeness of God,"

"the visible image of the invisible God,"

and "the exact representation of his being."

2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15

Hebrews 1:3

"You were... created to be like God,

truly righteous and holy."

Ephesians 4:24

 

Let me be absolutely clear:

You will never become God, or even a god.

That prideful lie is Satan's oldest temptation.

Satan promised Adam and Eve

that if they followed his advice, "ye shall be as gods."

Genesis 3:5

 

"Take on an entirely new way of life—

a God-fashioned life,

a life renewed from the inside

and working itself into your conduct

as God accurately reproduces

his character in you."

Ehpesians 4:22

God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is

not comfort, but character development.

He wants you to grow up spiritually

and become like Christ.

God created your uniqueness,

so he certainly doesn't want to destroy it.

Christlikeness is all about transforming your character,

not your personality.

 

God wants you to develop the kind of character

described in the beatitudes of Jesus,

Matthew 5:1-12

the fruit of the Spirit,

Galatians 5:22-23

Paul's great chapter on love,

1 Corinthians 13

and Peter's list of characteristics of

an effective and productive life.

2 Peter 1:5-8

 

Every time you forget that character is

one of God's purposes for your life,

you will become frustrated by your circumstances.

You'll wonder,

"Why is this happening to me?

Why am I having such a difficult time?"

One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult!

It's what enables us to grow.

Remember, earth is not heaven!

 

Many Christians misinterpret Jesus' promise of the

 "abundant life"

John 10:10

to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle,

constant happiness, full realization of your dreams,

and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer.

This self-absorbed perspective treats God

as a genie who simply exists to serve you

in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment.

 

Never forget that life is not about you!

You exist for God's purposes, not vice versa.

God gives us our time on earth

to build and strengthen our character for heaven.

 

 

God's Spirit Working In You

 

 

It is the Holy Spirit's job to produce Christlike character in you.

"As the Spirit of the Lord works within us,

we become more and more like him

and reflect his glory even more."

2 Corinthians 3:18b

 

This process of changing us to be more like Jesus

is called sanctification,

and it is the third purpose of your life on earth.

"God is working in you,

giving you the desire to obey him

and the power to do what pleases him."

Philippians 2:13

But most of the time the Holy Spirit's power is released in your life

in quiet, unassuming ways that you aren't even aware of or can't feel.

He often nudges us with

"a gentle whisper."

1 Kings 19:12

 

Christlikeness is not produced by imitation, but by inhabitation.

We allow Christ to live through us.

"For this is the secret:

Christ lives in you."

Colossians 1:27

How does this happen in real life?

Through the choices we make.

We choose to do the right thing in situations

and then trust God's Spirit to give us his power,

 love, faith, and wisdom to do it.

Since God's Spirit lives inside of us,

these things are always available for the asking.

 

We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit's work.

The Holy Spirit releases his power

the moment you take a step of faith.

When Joshua was faced with an impossible barrier,

the floodwaters of the Jordan River receded only

after the leaders stepped into the rushing current in obedience and faith.

Joshua 3:13-17

Obedience unlocks God's power.

 

God waits for you to act first.

Don't wait to feel powerful or confident.

Move ahead in your weakness,

doing the right thing in spite of your fears and feelings.

This is how you cooperate with the Holy Spirit,

and it is how your character develops.

At least eight times in the New Testament

we are told to "make every effort"

Luke 13:24; Romans 14:19;

Ephesians 4:3; 2 Timothy 2:15;

Hebrews 4:11; 12:14;

2 Peter 1:5; 3:14

in our growth toward becoming like Jesus.

You don't just sit around and wait for it to happen.

 

"Everything... connected with

that old way of life has to go.

It's rotten through and through.

Get rid of it!"

Ephesians 4:22

 

Second, we must change the way we think.

"Let the Spirit change

your way of thinking."

Ephesians 4:23

The Bible says we are "transformed"

by the renewing of our minds.

Romans 12:2

 

The Greek word for transformed, metamorphosis

(used in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18),

is used today to describe the amazing change

a caterpillar goes through in becoming a butterfly.

It is a beautiful picture of what happens to us spiritually

when we allow God to direct our thoughts:

We are changed from the inside out,

we become more beautiful,

and we are set free to soar to new heights.

 

Third, we must "put on" the character of Christ

by developing new, godly habits.

Your character is essentially the sum of your habits;

it is how you habitually act.

"Put on the new self,

created to be like God

in true righteousness and holiness."

Ephesians 4:23

 

God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mole us.

All three are indispensable for character development.

God's Word provides the truth we need to grow,

God's pelple provide the support we need to grow,

and circumstances provide the environment

we need to practice Christlikeness.

 

We will look at each of these growth ingredients

in the chapters ahead.

 

Many people assume all that is needed for spiritual growth is

Bible study and prayer.

But some issues in life will never be changed by Bible study or prayer alone.

God uses people.

He usually prefers to work through people

rather than perform miracles,

so that we will depend on each other for fellowship.

He wants us to grow together.

 

Spiritual maturity is not a solitary, individual pursuit!

You cannot grow to Christlikeness in isolation.

You must be around other people and interact with them.

You need to be a part of a church and community.

Why?

Because true spiritual maturity is all about learning to love like Jesus,

and you can't practice being like Jesus

without being in relationship with other pelple.

Remember, it's all about love—

loving God and loving others.

 

Becoming like christ is a long, slow process of growth.

Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic;

it is a gradual, progressive development

that will take the rest of your life.

"This will continue until we are... mature,

just as Christ is,

and we will be completely like him."

Ephesians 4:13

You are a work in progress.

 

"We can't even imagine

what we will be like when Christ returns.

But we do know that

when he comes we will be like him,

for we will see him as he really is."

1 John 3:2

The truth is, there are many different careers

that could be in God's will for your life.

What God cares about most is that whatever you do,

you do in a Christlike manner.

1 Corinthians 10:31; 16:14;

Colossians 3:17, 23

God is far more interested in what you are

than in what you do.

We are human beings, not human doings.

 

"Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture

that you fit into it without even thinking.

Instead, fix your attention on God.

You'll be changed from the inside out...

Unlike the culture around you,

always dragging you down to its level of immaturity,

God brings the best out of you,

develops well-formed maturity in you."

Romans 12:2

 

You must make a counter-culture decision to focus on

becoming more like Jesus.

Otherwise, other forces like peers, parents, coworkers,

and culture will try to mold you into their image.

 

Jesus did not die on the cross just

so we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives.

His purpose is far deeper:

He wants to make us like himself  before he takes us to heaven.

This is our greatest privilege,

our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny.

 

 

 

 

DAY TWENTY-TWO

Thinking About My Purpose

 

 Point to Ponder: I was created to become like Christ.

 

Verse to Remember: "As the Spirit of the Lord works within us,

we become more and more like him

and reflect his glory even more."

2 Corinthians 3:18b

 

Question to Consider: In what area of my life do I need

 to ask for the Spirit's power to be like Christ today?

 

 

p 169~178

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 KBS 길 위의 신부들 2008년 5월 25일